Yokota CGOC wraps up donation drive

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Summers
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Operation Helping Hand, a Company Grade Officer's Council-sponsored event, wrapped up Feb. 17 after a 32-day donation drive. 

During the drive, members from the Yokota community were asked to donate items such as clothes, shoes, toys and other non-perishable items to send to Iraq citizens in need. 

"Our goal was to raise 3,000 lbs. in donations to send to Iraq," said Capt. Tameka Alderman, 374th Wing Staff agency OHH representative. "We placed boxes at each of the units and received items such as clothes, linen, toothbrushes, tooth paste, and kitchen appliances among other items." 

"OHH has been going on for a few years now," said 1st Lt. Jason Piparo, OHH program coordinator. "This year we decided to do a clothing drive, asking for old clothes that people don't wear anymore or are discarding to make room for the new after the holiday season." 

The collected items were packed and mailed to a chaplain deployed to Iraq. The chaplain services in Iraq will distribute the items among the Iraqi citizens. 

"There was a lot of support from the community," said Captain Alderman. "Boxes were overflowing because of all the donations."